I'm at my breaking point and don't know what to do.

Lo has been so fussy for three weeks. Sometimes he's ok like this morning then after his nap all hell broke loose. He gets mad or upset at everything. He could barely hit his head or be walking and fall or for no reason just start crying. Things that never bugged him before. He's so hard to feed on top of that which him not eating probably doesn't help his mood. He was just sick for a few days and was at the doctors but they figured the sickness was the crankiness. But he was sick maybe 4 days and cranky 3 weeks??? He's been waking up the past 3 nights screaming and crying. He already has 16 teeth and I looked up they get 20 but I feel no swelling or anything. Right now he is just sitting playing with his toys and he will be fine a minute then start crying out of the blue. After 3 weeks I just don't know if I can take it anymore. Now I'm crying and depressed and I can't get anything done. Dh leaves at 4 am and doesn't get back until 7-8pm and just got put on 7 days a week until Christmas at least. My mom watches him usually every Saturday and Saturday night and she runs a contract school bus and between those times she helps my dad run his business so I feel bad asking her to watch him. My MIL is not longer aloud to watch him and we haven't had much to do with her lately because she stole money from us, opened a credit card in dh name, has a horribly trashy dangerous house...I could go on and on. The devil should be in jail. There are no daycares around here that I know of. I'm about to loose it and don't know what to do?!?!

Comments (12)

Sounds like what I was going through not long ago! Now I'm the one who is sick because I feel unrested! She went from being this super angel to suddenly declining her morning nap making her SUPER fussy all the time. Now she is sick but I have no clue if she's still sick or just being fussy

My LO has had a really tough month too. Sleeping and eating patterns all over the place, clingier, fussier, and a lot of developmental leaps forward. Is your LO also making some positive changes, like learning new stuff? I have heard from many sources that babies go a little bit crazy when they start walking, or even getting ready to walk. Like it's a giant leap for them emotionally as well as physically.

But it's tough on you, of course. Maybe time to find a couple of babysitters, high school or college age. Advertise on craigslist and interview them, including references. Or if you know a local teacher, ask them to refer a responsible student to you. Then set up a couple of regular times for them to take LO while you do whatever.

It's an extra expense, of course, but your sanity is really important!! Good luck...

Not sure if this would help your LO at all, but when DS gets like that we get out of the house. If it's nice out, we go for long walks. If it's not so nice out, we go to the library or to browse through a store. Being out and about distracts him from whatever's bothering him.

ITA with phdmom. I'm a FTM and called my sister in tears when LO was being particularly difficult, and she said when she feel like you do, to get out of the house. Even just for a drive, window shop, find a new park and go on the swings. Even if you're at the end of your rope and it's the last thing you want to do. It breaks up your day and breaks into LOs cycle of boredom or frustration, and helps tire him out for later. Hang in there mama!

Like pp said its probably a developmental thing. I looked it up and there's a wonderweek 55 which can start between 48 and 53 weeks and lasts for up to 6 weeks I think? Not that that's all that encouraging right now because I'm sure it sounds like forever, but the point is, it's likely a phase and you'll get your normal, sweet LO back soon.

Yeah he normally heads back through the house playing for hours. I go with my mom a couple days a week to help he get groceries(they buy their workers lunch-sandwich, snacks, drinks) and to pick up the payroll and we shop, just look, go out to eat. I just want to stay home a few days but its miserable. I need to do house work but I wash like one dish and he's attached to my leg screaming. Plus his birthday party is next weekend and I need to get some things done. I meani can barely do this, he's in my arms screaming most the time. But he has been standing and taking a few steps for a few months and has been taking like 10 steps for a month and for a few weeks he's been walking all over. Should I take him back to the doctors? Could he still have some fluid on his ears? He's still on meds but pretty much better.

Could your LO possibly be teething? My DS is going through some of the same right now but I know he's teething and attribute a lot of his actions to that. He's fine one minute and cranky & honory(sp?) the next. He's also been very clingy lately, which drives me crazy - especially when I'm trying to make dinner. When he finally let go of my leg last night he sat down and pulled the bottom oven door open & proceeded to take all of my baking sheets out and spread them on the floor. I couldn't walk anywhere w/o sliding on one! Anywho...I put him in his high chair & diluted some of the teething tablets in water & had him drink it. He sat there for a few minute & I let him down. He went to the living room and played for about 10 minutes. I think with the pain of teething he just doesn't know what to do - so he acts out.

Do you have any friends nearby that could help you out? I hope your LO feels better & you're able to get out for some "YOU" time soon!

And I would feel bad leaving a screaming, fussy, drive you nuts 11 month old with a teenager. Or anyone for that matter. I actually usually feel a little bad about my mom watching him once a week. I think it's because 2 of my sister in laws leave their kids with dh's mom all the time. She pretty much raises them. She does one actually and the others get dumped on her everyday.